Ernie Adams
Ernie Adams (born Ernest Stephen Dumarais, June 18, 1885 – November 26, 1947) was an American vaudevillian performer, stage and screen actor and writer. Born in San Francisco, California to Leon D. Adams and Laurence G. Girard, he was also billed as Ernest S. Adams and Ernie... Read full bio →
Featured Characters
Roles you can spot in Whatthemovie snapshots
Trailing Danger
Convicted killer Jim Holden is rescued from the sheriff by his gang, led by Mason and Riley. He is out to get the Hathaway Stage superintendent George Bannister, who was responsible for his conviction and learns the Bannister, his niece (Kay) and Hal Hathaway, son of the stage line owner, are on a cross-country stage.
Trail Street
Bat Masterson (Randolph Scott) cleans up Liberal, Kansas. Ray Enright's 1947 western also stars Robert Ryan, Anne Jeffreys, Steve Brodie, George "Gabby" Hayes and Billy House.
The Thirteenth Hour
In this drama, a trucker's business is nearly destroyed after he is wrongfully accused of killing a policeman with whom he recently quarreled.
The Pretender
Story of an investment agent who embezzles a large sum from an estate, hoping to cover his crime by marrying the estate's heiress. The girl is already engaged, so he arranges to have the fiance killed. A mix up involving the society section of the newspaper places him in the sights of his own hired gun.
The Law Comes to Gunsight
Brown arrives in the town of, yes, Gunsight, in the company of saddle pal Raymond Hatton. Like a new broom, Brown sweeps clean, going after the town's corrupt element.
Killer Dill
Lingerie salesman Johnny Dill, thought to be a killer gangster, finds himself struck between the forces of good and evil.
Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome
A gang of criminals, which includes a piano player and an imposing former convict known as 'Gruesome', has found out about a scientist's secret formula for a gas that temporarily paralyzes anyone who breathes it.
Desperate
An innocent trucker takes it on the lam when he's accused of robbery.
The Mysterious Mr. Valentine
Janet Spencer is driving down a country road when one of her tires blows out. This seemingly innocuous, everyday occurrence leads Linda into a labyrinth of murder, blackmail and intrigue.
The Killers
Hit men kill an unresisting victim, and investigator Reardon uncovers his past involvement with beautiful, deadly Kitty Collins.
It's a Wonderful Life
An angel helps a compassionate but despairingly frustrated businessman by showing what life would had been like if he never existed.
Fear
B-movie film noir take on Crime and Punishment. A college student gets deeper and deeper in trouble when he takes a loan from a shady college professor.
Deadline at Dawn
A young Navy sailor has one night to find out why a woman was killed and he ended up with a bag of money after a drinking blackout.
The Power of the Whistler
A woman uses a deck of cards to predict death within 24 hours for a stranger sitting at a bar, then tries to help him remember who he is based on items in his pockets.
The Jungle Captive
Once again Paula the ape woman is brought back to life, this time by a mad doctor and his disfigured assistant, who also kidnaps a nurse in order to have a female blood donor.
Johnny Angel
George Raft plays a sailor who sets out to solve his father's mysterious death.
I Love a Mystery
This first film in the Columbia series was based on the radio serial, "The Decapitation of Jefferson Monk." A detective tries to protect a man who has predicted his murder will take place in three days.
Escape in the Fog
A woman dreams of murder on the Golden Gate Bridge.
The Suspect
Genial shopkeeper Philip has to endure the constant nagging of a shrewish wife while he secretly yearns for a pretty young stenographer. When the henpecking gets to be too much, Philip murders his wife and manages to make her death look like an accident.
The Climax
A demented physician becomes obsessed with a young singer whose voice sounds similar to his late mistress.
Return of the Ape Man
The discovery of a perfectly preserved caveman prompts a mad scientist to attempt a daring brain transplant.
Murder, My Sweet
Detective Philip Marlowe (Dick Powell) is hired by hulking Moose Malloy (Mike Mazurki) to locate his old girlfriend that he lost track of while serving time in prison. With each lead he follows, Marlowe encounters lies, larceny, perjury, theft and a beautiful femme fatale (Claire Trevor).
Arizona Whirlwind
US marshals Ken, Hoot and Bob stop a gang dressed as Indians from robbing the stage. After getting repairs at the relay station, but before they get to town, another trap is set, but they get away. In town, they search the stage and find nothing. But hidden in the axle grease can are diamonds.
The Phantom
The Phantom's clan has ruled the jungle tribes for centuries. He battles Dr. Bremmer who plans to build an airfield and gets greedy when Professor Davidson and his niece Diana arrive to search for the treasure of the lost city of Zoloz.
The Pride of the Yankees
The story of the life and career of the baseball hall of famer, Lou Gehrig.
The Man Who Came to Dinner
When acerbic critic Sheridan Whiteside slips on the front steps of a provincial Ohio businessman's home and breaks his hip, he and his entourage take over the house indefinitely
Man with Two Lives
A man is brought back from death at the same time a vicious criminal dies in the electric chair. However, the man's soul is now taken over by the electrocuted gangster, who embarks on a vengeful crime wave.
Bandit Ranger
Ranch hand Clay Travers is framed for murdering ranger Frank Mattison after discovering Mattison's body. Businessman Art Kenyon, involved in cattle rustling, hired a gunman to impersonate Mattison.
The Face Behind the Mask
A sweet, enthusiastic, newly-arrived American immigrant from Hungary is forced to turn to a life of crime after his face is badly disfigured in a hotel fire.
The Devil Commands
A scientist kills innocent victims in his efforts to communicate with his late wife.
Robbers of the Range
Railroad agents frame a landowner who wont sell out to them.
Invisible Ghost
The town's leading citizen is a man victim of homicidal impulses beyond his control. He is being controlled by his wife who had left him for another man. She was involved in a car accident that has left her brain damaged and is kept in the basement, in secret, by Kessler's gardener.
Yukon Flight
When the plane owned by the "Yukon and Columbia Mail Service" crashes, RCMP Sergeant Renfrew (James Newill) and Constable Kelly (Dave O'Brien) suspect murder. Their suspicions are confirmed when Renfrew finds the control stick has been jammed, forcing the plane to fly in one direction until the gas ran out.
Young Tom Edison
Inventor Thomas Edison's boyhood is chronicled and shows him as a lad whose early inventions and scientific experiments usually end up causing disastrous results. As a result, the towns folk all think Tom is crazy, and creating a strained relationship between Tom and his father.
The Son of Monte Cristo
Rightful owner of the kingdom, the Duchess of Zona, is engaged in a power struggle with the evil General Gurko. Edmond, the son of Monte Cristo, dons many disguises to come to the aid of the Duchess.
The Man with Nine Lives
Dr. Leon Kravaal develops a potential cure for cancer, which involves freezing the patient. But an experiment goes awry when authorities believe Kravaal has killed a patient. Kravaal freezes the officials, along with himself. Years later, they are discovered and revived in hopes that Kravaal can indeed complete his cure.
The Invisible Man Returns
The owner of a coal mining operation, falsely imprisoned for fratricide, takes a drug to make him invisible, despite its side effect: gradual madness.
Primrose Path
Girl from the "wrong" side of the tracks falls in love with an ambitious young man from the "right" side of the tracks.
Before I Hang
A physician on death row for a mercy killing is allowed to experiment on a serum using a criminals' blood, but secretly tests it on himself. He gets a pardon, but finds out he's become a Jekyll-&-Hyde.
Young Mr. Lincoln
In this dramatized account of his early law career in Illinois, Abraham Lincoln is born into a modest log cabin, where he is encouraged by his first love, Ann Rutledge, to pursue law. Following her tragic death, Lincoln establishes a law practice in Springfield, where he meets a young Mary Todd.
You Can't Cheat an Honest Man
Fields plays "Larsen E. Whipsnade", the owner of a shady carnival that is constantly on the run from the law. Whipsnade is struggling to keep a step ahead of foreclosure, and clearly not paying his performers, including Bergen and McCarthy, who try to coax money out of him, or in McCarthy's case, steal some outright.
Union Pacific
In 1862, Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads compete westward across the wilderness toward California. A crooked politician tries to stop construction of the transcontinental railroad.
Tower of London
In the 15th century Richard Duke of Gloucester, aided by his club-footed executioner Mord, eliminates those ahead of him in succession to the throne, then occupied by his brother King Edward IV of England.
The Invisible Killer
Reporter Sue Walker has too much inside information on the local gambling rackets to suit her sweetheart, Detective Lieutenant Jerry Brown, chief of the police Homicide Squad. When the call comes in that there has been a killing at Lefty Ross' place, a notorious gambling joint, Jerry is peeved when Sue beats him there.
Down the Wyoming Trail
Tex arrives on the Parker ranch on Christman eve and is given the job of being Santa Claus. Also dressed as Santa Claus, Blackie robs Parker and kills a man. When Tex is arrested for the murder, he escapes and joins up with outlaw Becker and his gang. He finds Blackie's Santa Claus suit but is soon made a prisoner.
You and Me
Two former prison inmates fall in love not knowing that their soon-to-be bride and husband served hard time.
Where the Buffalo Roam
Tex returns to Santa Fe to find his Mother murdered. Foster runs the town and all crimes committed by his gang are blamed on Rogel and his men. He makes Tex Marshal but this backfires when Tex enlists Rogel and his men and goes after Foster who he now knows is responsible for his Mother's death.
Thunder in the Desert
Bob arrives looking for the killer of his uncle. When the Sheriff chases him and his partner Rusty, Reno thinks they are the men he is looking for and takes them into his gang. There Bob finds his uncle's gun and knows he has found the right gang. However he realizes the gang has an unknown leader and he sets out to find him.
The Purple Vigilantes
David Ross organizes the ranchers into a vigilante group to rid the town of outlaws. The plan succeeds but the trouble starts when some of the men form a new vigilante group and posing as the original one plunder for loot.
The Mexicali Kid
Looking for the killer of his brother, Jack saves the outlaw known as the Mexicali Kid who had collapsed on the desert. Jack joins up with the Kid who leads him to Gorson. Gorson is after a ranch and gets Jack to pose as the heir to the ranch. After the papers are signed he plans to have jack killed.
Rollin' Plains
It's cattlemen versus sheepmen and Trigger Gargan appears to be the leader of the gang causing the trouble. But unknown to Ranger Tex Lawrence, the respected town citizen Barrow is the boss and is tipping off the gang as to the Ranger's activities.
San Quentin
Ex-Army officer Jameson takes a job a prison guard at San Quentin. Joe, the brother of his new girlfriend May, is sentenced to the prison for robbery. When Jameson tries to separate lawbreakers from hardened criminals, badguy Hansen tries to stir up trouble by telling Joe about Jameson's interest in his sister.
Hopalong Rides Again
On a cattle drive Hoppy, camp cook Windy, companion Lucky, and young Artie Peters encounter an eccentric professor. The professor professes to be searching for the evolutionary missing link, but in reality he is a cattle rustler who uses his dynamite to scatter the cattle in order capture some of them.
Arizona Gunfighter
When Colt kills the men that murdered his father, he escapes his pursuers and joins Wolf and his outlaw gang. After two years Wolf breaks up the gang, deeds his ranch to Colt, and turns himself in. Now an honest rancher, things are going fine for Colt until Wolf's old gang shows up under a new leader.
Three on the Trail
An evil gang is involved in both cattle rustling and the robbing of stagecoaches. Hoppy must stop them without help from the sheriff who turns out be a major outlaw himself.
Road Gang
A crusading young reporter planning a series of articles about a corrupt politician is framed for a crime and sentenced to serve five years at a prison farm.
My Man Godfrey
Fifth Avenue socialite Irene Bullock needs a "forgotten man" to win a scavenger hunt, and no one is more forgotten than Godfrey Park, who resides in a dump by the East River. Irene hires Godfrey as a servant for her riotously unhinged family, to the chagrin of her spoiled sister, Cornelia, who tries her best to get Godfrey fired.
Hopalong Cassidy Returns
A crusading newspaper editor recruits his old friend Hoppy to take the job of Marshall in a town rife with vice and murder directed at helpless miners.
The Perfect Clue
Mona Stewart, madcap, spoiled daughter of a wealthy man, becomes upset when she learns that her father is engaged to a woman she hates. She runs away, via various modes of transportation, and hires an ex-con, David Mannering, to drive her around as she eludes the all-out search conducted by her father and her fiancée, Ronnie Van Zandt.
The Casino Murder Case
After socialite Lynn Llewellyn receives an anonymous threat, he is poisoned at his uncle's casino, and although he recovers, his wife is murdered by the same killer.
Woman Unafraid
A dedicated and compassionate policewoman risks her job by offering refuge to a young mother with mob associations. Crime drama.
We're Not Dressing
Beautiful high society type Doris Worthington is entertaining guests on her yacht in the Pacific when it hits a reef and sinks. She makes her way to an island with the help of singing sailor Stephen Jones.
Little Miss Marker
Bookie Sorrowful Jones receives a little girl as an IOU.
Law of the Wild
Rex, a wild stallion, and Rinty, a police dog, are pals. Their master , John Sheldon, is framed for murder, and Alice Ingram plans to race Rex for money to pay for John's legal defense. Meantime, Frank Nolan, who has falsely accused John, sets out to steal Rex for himself.
It Happened One Night
Comic romance between a down-to-earth newspaper reporter and a spoiled runaway heiress.
The Kiss Before the Mirror
When a famous doctor kills his adulterous wife, he is defended by his best friend, an attorney who suspects that his own wife is having an affair.
She Done Him Wrong
New York singer and nightclub owner Lady Lou has more men friends than you can imagine. Unfortunately one of them is a vicious criminal who's escaped and is on the way to see "his" girl, not realising she hasn't exactly been faithful in his absence. Help is at hand in the form of young Captain Cummings a local temperance league leader though.
Hallelujah I'm a Bum
A New York tramp falls in love with the mayor's amnesiac girlfriend after rescuing her from a suicide attempt.
Panama Flo
A New York chorus girl is coerced into keeping house for an oil man in South America to pay off a debt. Her boyfriend comes to get her but she finds out that he is only out for the oil man's money.
Million Dollar Legs
A small country on the verge of bankruptcy is persuaded to enter the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics as a means of raising money. Either a masterpiece of absurdity or a triumph of satire, depending on your mood, but it's quite possibly the funniest movie ever made, and becomes even funnier with subsequent viewings.
Merrily We Go to Hell
A drunken newspaperman is rescued from his alcoholic haze by an heiress whose love sobers him up and encourages him to write a play, but he lapses back into dipsomania.
Freaks
A circus' beautiful trapeze artist agrees to marry the leader of side-show performers, but his deformed friends discover she is only marrying him for his inheritance.
Little Caesar
A small-time hood shoots his way to the top, but how long can he stay there?
All Quiet on the Western Front
A young soldier faces profound disillusionment in the soul-destroying horror of World War I. Together with several other young German soldiers, he experiences the horrors of war, such evil of which he had not conceived of when signing up to fight. They eventually become sad, tormented, and confused of their purpose.
Speedy
A hapless young man living in New York City rallies to save his girlfriend's grandfather's horse-drawn trolley, the last in the city, from being put out of business by a railroad company.
The Blackbird
Two thieves, the Blackbird and West End Bertie, fall in love with the same girl, a French nightclub performer named Fifi. Each man tries to outdo the other to win her heart.
The Delicious Little Devil
A poor hat-check girl loses her job and is forced to get a job as a dancer at a roadhouse. There she falls in love with the son of a rich businessman. The boy's father, believing her to be after the family's money, determines to embarrass her and show his son what she really is.